Forgiveness Doesn't Have to be Hard
by teamjacob0729
Summary: An alternate ending to Breaking Dawn. After Jacob is dragged away into the woods, the Cullens leave and he has not heard from them again. Bella hadn't been heard from in 10 years. Sometimes forgiving is easy. A fluffy BxJ story.
1. Chapter 1

**Rated M**

 **Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Lucky woman.**

 ** _This story takes place years after the wedding. No honeymoon pregnancy. Bella x Jake pairing_**

 **I have had this in the works for a bit but I haven't posted it because I already have too many stories in progress that I haven't finished. It is a pet peeve of mine to get into a story and then have it get dropped. But honestly, my personal life has prevented me from "going there" mentally. I've decided to post this anyhow and if I can, I'll come back to it.**

"You know, Paul, I can say that you have personally been a pain in my neck for years. But I'm happy for you and Rachel. Congratulations, man," Jake said, as he patted Paul roughly on the back. He chuckled as Paul glared at him. _Jerk._

Jake walked out of the waiting room and headed out of the hospital. He was officially an uncle now. It was a good feeling. When Paul imprinted on Rachel, Jake was pretty sure that he would never like the guy. But over the years, Rachel had softened that hard exterior and make him less of an asshole.

As Jake passed by the gift shop, he stopped and decided to see what they had. Maybe he'd get something for his sister and his niece. A little "welcome to the world" gift. The room wasn't that big and it was jam-packed with knickknacks and trinkets. He maneuvered carefully through the shelves looking around at all of the tacky gifts. Finally, he found an area with baby stuff. There was a t-shirt that said, "If you think I'm cute, you should see my uncle." He started laughing loudly. Behind him glass shattered on the floor. He turned and saw a woman frantically trying to scrape together the pieces of a vase and the ruined arrangement.

"Sorry if I startled you," Jake said as he walked closer to the woman. She didn't look up, which he thought was strange. In fact, she tucked her chin further on her chest and hid behind her short hair. It was a dark brown streaked with blonde highlights. So he squatted down and began helping with the cleanup. He reeled as the delicate hand reached out with _the_ _bracelet_ on it.

"Bella?" he asked. The woman peered up at him. Jake would know those brown eyes anywhere. "What—what are you doing here?"

Jake straightened up and looked down at the frail woman on the floor. She'd changed but she was still her. Still human. He breathed in deeply and detected a faint hint of vamp stench lingering around her. At least she wasn't coated in it like a bad perfume.

"My friend, Angela? She had a baby today. I came to see them. Was going to bring them some flowers," she shrugged as she looked at the mess on the floor. "Guess I'll have to pick something else out."

Jake held the tiny pink shirt in his hand. When he'd walked over to help, he had folded it in half. The words were covered from Bella's view.

"So, a girl, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah, she's the cutest little thing," Jake smiled widely, thinking of his cute little niece and how she gripped his finger when he held her.

"Congratulations. Listen, I really need to go," Bella stood and made a beeline for the door.

"Miss! Miss!" the attendant called out. "You aren't going to leave without paying for that are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Of course not," she turned a bright shade of red as she turned back and went to the counter to pay for the broken vase. Jake stood closely behind her as she handed over the cash. He tried in vain to peer over her shoulder and catch a glimpse of anything in her wallet. She didn't reveal anything to him and tried to make her way around him as quickly as possible.

"What's the rush?" he asked.

"My friend's expecting me and I'm already late. Sorry, but I'll see you later," she said as she brushed him off.

"Will you? See me later?" he asked following her as she headed to the door.

"Oh, I'm not sure that's such a good idea," she admitted, glancing toward the gift he was buying. "I'm sure that there's a little one waiting on you to come back to her."

"She can wait I'm sure. There's plenty of people here to see her," he countered.

"I'm sure that's true. But there's no one as important as her daddy. You should be there," Bella whipped around and walked away briskly.

Jacob stood staring after her. It took him a couple of replays before he realized the mistake Bella had made. Quickly, he paid for the shirt and raced back up the stairs to the maternity ward. He groaned as soon as he saw where Bella was about to go. It seemed her friend was roommates with his sister. _What are the chances?_ He wondered. Bella entered the room, but Jake wasn't far behind her. She actually froze when she entered the doorway. Jake walked up behind her to assess the situation.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Paul said through his clenched teeth. Bella started to back up but instead she crashed into Jake.

"I'm sorry, I thought this was Angela Cheney's room," she answered, her voice quivering at Paul's unwelcome greeting.

"Bella?" a female voice called out from the other side of the curtain.

"Ang?" Bella sighed with relief and kept walking. "Hey! How are you? I'm sorry. I didn't realize you would be in a room with someone else."

Jake froze as he listened to the hushed conversation so close to him. He stared at the hideous green curtain that separated him from Bella. There were so many questions racing through his mind that he wanted to ask her.

"Yeah, I guess there was a bit of a baby boom here today. The nurse told me they don't usually double up mothers, but there wasn't any more room. So, here we are! You want to hold him?" he heard Angela ask.

"Oh he's beautiful. I'd love to hold him." Jake slid into the room and listened as her chair squeaked across the floor.

Paul came up to him and got close to his face, his voice much too low to be heard by human ears. "What is she doing here? How is she human?"

"All questions I have, and more, Paul. I don't know. I ran into her in the gift shop just now. By the way," Jake said as he held up the tiny shirt.

Paul recoiled when he saw the shirt, "what? I don't think so, Stud!"

"Come on, dude. It's cute, just like her," Jake answered, looking at the tiny baby in the bassinet beside Rachel's bed.

"You think pretty highly of yourself," Paul responded taking the shirt and holding it up to Rachel, who gushed over it.

She smiled tiredly at Jake and thanked him for the gift. Her eyes drooped and Jake remembered why he was leaving earlier. Rachel needed rest. His eyes shifted over to the other half of the room. He really wanted to talk to Bella. If he left the room, she might find a way to sneak out and not talk to him. As much as it pained him to admit, he knew exactly how long it had been since he saw her last. It was that damn wedding when he was carried away forcefully. The Cullen's left, abruptly moved away, and he hadn't heard a peep from Bella since.

Instead of leaving, Jacob walked out into the hall and found an empty chair. He carried it over by the door and sat down. That way when Bella left, he'd see her.

Several hours later, Jake was leaned down in the chair, his head back against the wall. His mouth was open and he was snoring loud enough for people walking by to hear him. The nurses chuckled every time they went past him. Bella walked out of the room and stopped to stare at Jacob.

Lucky for Jake, she decided to let him off the hook and wake him up. He had waited for her all of that time, she may as well have the very long overdue discussion on her life. She leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"There's a vampire in the hospital, Jacob," then she leaned back as quickly as she could-a huge grin on her face.

Jacob jumped to his feet looking around and smelling the air. He glared at Bella when he saw her there, arms crossed, looking smug.

"So funny," he said, bitterly.

"We need to talk, Jake," she said, resigned. Her eyes shifted down to the floor, afraid to look into his inquiring eyes. She knew that she left him with endless unanswered questions. "Want to get out of here?"

"For sure," he answered. He held his arm out, indicating she should go first. As she stepped in front of him, his eyes traveled down her body enjoying the view. He wanted to whistle lasciviously, but instead he bit his bottom lip.

"Stop staring at my ass, Jacob," Bella called over her shoulder as she pressed the button for the elevator. Then she turned around to face Jacob, who acted like he wasn't doing what she knew he was. "Whatever. Like I can't feel your eyes boring a hole in my back. You can act like you weren't looking all you want. But I know you were." Then the elevator bell dinged and she walked into the doors as they slid open. Jacob followed her inside, impressed with her sassiness.

They remained silent as they walked out the main doors of the hospital. Bella glanced around and turned to Jake. "Do you want to drive together or separate? Do you live by yourself?"

"Let's take my car. I'm a grown man, what do you think?" He smiled and walked over to his car. Hesitantly, Bella walked over to the passenger side. She stopped and wondered if she should follow him in her rental car, but in the end she decided to go with him. If she had to call Charlie to come pick her up from wherever Jake lived, she would.

Music began blaring as soon as Jake turned the key. Quickly, he turned it down and started the engine. While he started maneuvering around the parking lot, Bella gave the car a looksee. She noticed it was a pretty nice car, even though she didn't know much about cars aside from the truck she drove in high school and the Mercedes Edward bought her. Leaning back in the seat, Bella enjoyed the fresh air as it blew in the slightly open windows. The roar of the engine reminded her of the days when she drove her beloved truck and there was no mistaking the sound of her vehicle.

The little red house appeared around the corner and Bella asked if he still lived at home when Jake started slowing down. He only grinned as he pulled up and parked in front of the house. Bella noted the changes in the home. It looked like it had been painted and fixed up a bit. Otherwise, it was still the place she associated with memories of growing up.

She followed Jacob into the house and looked around for Billy. Inside, the house had clearly been fixed up and it no longer had the look of a deserted bachelor pad. In fact, it looked more feminine than she expected Jake's house to be.

"I, uh, I didn't think to ask. Are you, I mean, do you…Are you involved with someone? I mean, is your wife or your girlfriend going to storm out here any moment?" Bella asked searching for clues.

Chuckling, Jake told her, "Just me, Bells." He paused before offering her a glass of water. She accepted, if only to stall a few more minutes. They sat down at the kitchen table, which Bella realized was the same table, only refinished.

"Table looks good," she said.

"Thanks," Jake answered simply. "But, that's not why you're here. Honestly, I don't know where to start. I have a million questions for you. The only one that I think I want the answer to right now is why haven't I heard from you all this time?"

Bella sighed loudly and turned the glass on the table. She had played this moment in her mind over and over, changing little things every time. She predicted which questions he would ask and how she would answer them. Now in the moment, all of her rehearsed speeches seemed inadequate.

"The reason I left and the reason I haven't contacted you are because I am a coward." She picked up the glass and took a sip. Jacob didn't move a muscle. He sat waiting on her to explain. He'd imagined this day as well.

"You know, it's not easy to admit you're wrong and that your best friend is right. Edward and I returned home early from our honeymoon. While we were there, things changed. This woman and her husband, they were hired as caretakers by the Cullens. Well, they kept coming to check on me. When I asked Edward why, he chuckled and said they knew what he was.

"I didn't really understand why that was funny. I mean humans aren't supposed to know of their kind. So why was it okay that they did? Anyhow, Edward said that their tribe believed in all kinds of supernatural things and that most educated people thought they were primitive types that hung on to their old world traditions too hard." She coughed lightly.

"Yet, they were persistent. During the third week, Edward became agitated with them. They'd always show up right when we were getting…intimate." She burned a bright red. Jake squirmed in his seat. He did not want to hear about her sexing it up with that bloodsucker. "We never got that far because they would literally show up every time. So the last time around, Edward got mad. He's wondering how they know and he reads nothing in their mind about it."

"The thing is…I watched his eyes as he stared furiously at them, arguing with them in a language I didn't understand. Edward told them in English to leave and not come back. He fired them. He came at me so quickly, it freaked me out. I backed away a little. Then he started getting mad that they made me scared of him. He couldn't understand that it was his actions that scared me."

"The couple didn't come back. We were on a remote island and it was their job to bring food and supplies. We were running out of food and Edward started talking about changing me instead of going into town to get food. He said there were plenty of hunting opportunities close-by. I was horrified. I told him no. That I wanted more time. We had already agreed that we were going to go to college together and I wanted to stay human longer."

She held her arm out and showed Jake her new scar. On her hand, on the fleshy part of her thumb, between her thumb and forefinger, were two new perfect crescents.

"What? How? How are you still human?" he breathed out.

Bella shrugged. "Alice."

"Now you've created another million questions," he smirked.

Jacob and Bella talked for hours on end. When they finally exhausted every question Jacob could think of, he noted it was 3:30 in the morning. He really didn't want Bella driving anywhere at that time, especially since it would take 20 minutes to get back to Forks. More than anything else, he didn't want her to leave. He was terrified that that if she left, it meant that it was over. He might not see her again.

"You want to see the rest of the house?" Jake offered, standing from the chair and stretching his body. Bella stood and did the same. She followed Jacob toward the living room, where he started the tour.

"This is the living room. The room where I watch TV, eat most of my meals and hang out with my family and friends, if they come over. As you can see, I bought a couch that doesn't have broken springs and the TV doesn't need an antenna anymore. Down the hallway is an updated bathroom." She followed him and peered into the bathroom. Her eyes stopped on a white box on the wall.

"That is the world's greatest invention! Instant hot water. Perfect for a guy like me that loves long showers," he grinned and patted the box affectionately. Bella laughed and backed out of the bathroom. "You know this used to be my bedroom, but now it's my office." He flipped the light switch on, and ran his hand over the desk like he was one of the models from _The Price is Right._

They moved on to his sisters' old bedroom, which was now a guest room. It had a queen sized bed, a dresser and a night stand but was otherwise pretty generic. Bella was surprised that they hadn't come across anything that seemed to be Billy's space yet. But she followed him down the last hall that led to Billy's old room. She was surprised when he stopped in the doorway but didn't go in the dark room or move to turn the light on.

"The thing is Bella, I had no idea that you were alive. I didn't know that you were coming here tonight. So I hope you understand," Jake said. He turned around and looked at her face. The face that haunted his dreams at night. The one he had imagined with red, and then golden, eyes. Yet, here she was still human and surprisingly rid of the vampires. Somehow after all that catching up, he couldn't bring himself to be mad at her for not calling him. He wanted to be pissed, but he was so happy she was there in his house at almost 4 in the morning, he didn't care.

He flipped the light on and let her in the room. Her eyes moved around the room. She could hardly believe this used to be Billy's bedroom. On the far wall was Jake's bed. The walls were painted a dark gray and on the long wall the only things were rows of large framed black and white photographs. It was beautiful. She walked closer and looked them over. Her breath caught at the gorgeous pictures of Jacob's sisters, his sister and Paul, Billy smiling and looking healthy. There was a picture of Billy and Charlie fishing, huge grins on their faces. It didn't look like they knew the picture was even taken. She walked up to that picture and ran her fingers over her father's face. She'd missed him tremendously.

Finally, the last pictures caught her eye. She gasped. They were heart-wrenching but touching as well. They were of her. One of them was a picture that was taken before one of the bonfires. It was before Edward came back. Her face was pensive as she stared off into the distance, her hair blowing back over her head. She didn't even know that picture was taken. The one that stopped her and she stood in front of was one of her and Jacob dancing together at her wedding. She studied it and noticed that her eyes were locked with his. Had a stranger looked at the photograph, they would have assumed they were the ones who got married. Her eyes took in more details. The perspective of the photographer. It was coming from the house, the forest in the background. Who could have taken this picture? She turned and looked at Jake.

She noticed he was standing in the middle of the room, looking unsure, more than she had ever seen him. "Who took this?" she whispered knowing full well he could hear her.

"Seth," he answered her. She turned back to the photos to reexamine them, knowing that Seth was the photographer. There was one more of her that she noticed. Leaning forward, she looked at the last one even closer. She wondered how Seth could have taken that photograph. It didn't make sense.

Jacob had stepped closer to her. He stood right behind her, so close that one deep breath and they would be touching. That picture was his favorite. She was so beautiful in it. It had been a small picture at first, but he'd blown it up to the 11x14 inch portrait. He stared with her, not speaking. He was going to let her figure this one out on her own.

"I didn't know anyone was there with me. Was that Seth? Why would he have a camera in the woods like that? I don't understand."

"Seth didn't take that one. I did."

"What? You did?" Her face covered with confusion.

The photograph was of Bella lying on the hood of her truck. She was leaning against the windshield, earbuds in her ears, listening to a playlist Jake made for her. It was essentially the funeral for her truck. The engine had died and Edward bought her the _new_ car. It had stayed in Charlie's front yard until a tow trunk finally came and hauled it to a junk yard. That day, she was incredibly sad. She felt like she was saying good-bye to more than her truck. She was saying good-bye to an era. One that she would always think back on with fondness.

"But, you were gone. You were gone until the day I got married. I don't understand. How did you take that picture?"

"Bells, I came back before your wedding. I tried to call you every day. Your cell phone would go straight to voicemail, I left messages on your dad's machine and I even tried calling the Cullen's house. They always said you were busy and couldn't come to the phone."

Bella sank to the bed. Jake had been back before the wedding? She had been so worried about him. Edward knew and Alice knew. They all knew how worried she was about Jacob!

She was saddened that things could have changed then. The last 10 years of their lives might have been very different if she had known he was there all along. Damn Edward! Every disappointment she'd had seemed to lead right back to him each time.

Instead of dissolving into tears, which she wanted to do, she stood up. She walked over to Jake and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I can't believe you haven't forgotten about me after all of this time," she said.

He hugged her back. Even though he wished that things were different, he had to wonder if they would be who they were at that moment if they'd gotten together during that turmoil.

"I could never forget about you, Bells. Ever. Even when I thought you were dead, you were still in my heart." He looked down at her as she looked up at him. Their eyes were locked onto each other's, neither of them wanting to break the trance they seemed to be under. Bella leaned up on her toes but Jake stepped back.

"I haven't finished the tour," he grinned. "Follow me, Miss." He went out the back door and led her down a paved path toward the garage. Here, she noticed, were big changes. The sheds were gone and it was replaced with a real building.

"My dad has his own place out here now. We put all accessible stuff in for him so he can be independent and not rely on me for everything. But I'm close by in case he needs me, too." Jake pointed toward a door but kept walking. "This is where I work."

He flipped the lights on and a working studio appeared before her. It seemed that Jacob had taken up photography over the years. She'd thought he would have done something with cars but he had a keen eye for taking pictures. There were more pictures hanging in the room and a professional-looking desk area.

With a big smile, he started explaining how he photographed all over the state. Mostly he did people, but not sitting portraits. He went out and captured their real lives on film. He took out a few albums and let her flip through them as she oohed and ahhed over his work. She looked through the photographs and was moved by how breathtaking they were.

"This is amazing, Jake. I could spend all day looking at this," she mused and then yawned.

"As much as I enjoy sitting here with you, I'd rather do something else. Are you in a rush to get going? I could make us some coffee and breakfast?" he offered.

Bella glanced at her watch. It was almost 5:00 in the morning. She was feeling pretty tired, despite the happiness she felt to see Jake.

"I don't know, Jake. I'm pretty tired," she responded with another yawn.

Jake stepped forward to close the distance between them. He reached out and grabbed the hand with his bracelet on it. To say he was surprised that she still had it was a major understatement. His fingers traced over it and gently spun it over her skin. Memories poured to the forefront of his mind. Tears started to make their way down his face as he thought about all of the times they had spent together so long ago, the time he spent worrying about her, and all of the horrible things he had imagined happening to her. Only in his most desperate dreams was she still human and alive.

"Okay," Jake nodded, not letting go of her hand at first. Then he lifted it to his mouth and placed the lightest of kisses on the back of her hand before letting it go. He headed back into the house, making sure to stay on the path so Bella wouldn't stumble. When she reached the back door, he held it open for her. After she went into the house, Jacob stood at the back door, his heart breaking all over again. He didn't want her to go, but aside from begging her, he didn't know how to keep her there. Fiddling around for a moment, he reluctantly grabbed his car keys and walked toward the living room.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he looked at Bella by the couch.

"Oh, I can go if you want. I'm sorry, I figured this would be okay. I shouldn't have presumed." She quickly started folding up the blanket she'd laid on the couch and tossed the throw pillow back onto the recliner. Her face burned with embarrassment.

"Bells, of course, I want you to stay. I don't want you to leave."

She froze and glanced up at him. He closed in on her and grabbed the blanket, tossing it on the back of the couch. Then he grabbed her hand and tugged her lightly. She followed him down the hall to his room. Her heart beat sped up as she realized what was happening.

"I can't let you sleep on that lumpy old couch," he said.

"But you said you bought a new couch," she responded.

He chuckled. "I guess I did." However, he didn't stop advancing toward his room. She stood frozen as he turned down the bed. Then he walked over to the dresser and pulled out a t-shirt. He handed it to Bella before stepping out and closing the door. Bella turned and watched over her shoulder as the door closed. She waited a few minutes before finally pulling off her sweater and jeans, and pulling the shirt over her head. Then she climbed into his bed. She wasn't sure if Jacob was coming back in, so she pulled the quilt up and over her and stayed on one side of the bed. She couldn't help pressing her nose into the pillow to draw in his scent. The one she had missed for so long. It wasn't long at all before she was sound asleep.

Jacob tossed and turned in the guest room. He could hear Bella's slow and deep breathes, knowing she was now asleep. He was also tired, having spent the night awake with Bella. Eventually, he gave up and walked to his bedroom door. Leaning against the doorjamb, he watched her sleep peacefully. Her face so relaxed in her sleep. He couldn't stand there and stare at her, so he walked in the room and got under the covers with her.

She scooched over and curled up against his warm body. Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and relaxed, falling into a deep sleep.

 **Are you ready to choke me for starting something new? Chapter 2 isn't as long but it's done.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Rated M**

 **Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer-who's obviously Team Edward, while I'm, well, TJ!**

Billy rolled into his son's bedroom. He was surprised that the house was so quiet. At first, he thought that Jacob may have gone to the hospital to be with Rachel and Paul, but his car was out in front of the house. When he opened the door and saw that Jacob was in bed with a woman, he gasped in surprise. There had never been a woman that wasn't pack in the house at all. Carefully, he backed out of the room and closed the door. He went into the kitchen and started the coffee maker knowing the scent would rouse his sleeping son. Naturally, the curiosity was getting the better of him. He wanted to know who the mystery woman was. She didn't look familiar.

The scent of coffee didn't wake the sleeping pair, so Billy decided it was time to cook some breakfast. He glanced at the clock and saw the time, thinking instead it was time for brunch, or lunch. He got out pots and pans to cook and wasn't very careful about banging them against the cabinet and the stove top. Every time he clanked something, he'd look toward the door hoping it would open.

Eventually, a large breakfast spread lay on the kitchen table. Billy sat eating by himself, actually enjoying the fact that Jacob wasn't inhaling everything before he could eat.

In the bedroom, though, Jacob and Bella were whispering about what to do.

"Jake, he's going to think I slept with you!" she said in a rush, her eyes wide with panic.

"You did sleep with me," he answered, smiling at his joke.

"Stop! This is serious," her whispers getting louder. "Your dad hasn't seen me in 10 years and he thinks I'm a vampire! If I waltz out into your kitchen, I might give him a heart attack!"

"Bells, you're being ridiculous! My dad will be so happy to see you alive. Come on, get dressed and we'll go out and eat. From all the noise he made, it sounds like he cooked every bit of food in my refrigerator. Besides, he never cooks, so he has to know you're here." Jacob stood from the bed and walked to his dresser to grab some clothes.

Bella sat in the bed. Her eyes darted between Jacob and the door, expecting Billy to pop in any second. As Jacob dressed, her eyes lingered on him longer, as she appreciated the view. His physique had only improved over the years. He was more defined, if that were possible, but he wasn't bigger. However, a guy who was 6' 6" was still huge by her standards, and a lot of others, she figured.

She sat stock still as Jacob turned around, tucking his t-shirt into his jeans. She couldn't stop herself from staring at his crotch as he fixed the shirt and zipped up his fly. He chuckled and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Snapping herself out of the trance, Bella stood and grabbed her clothes from the bench at the foot of the bed. She went into the bathroom after Jacob. Inside the bathroom was a water closet and his closet, so she stepped into his closet to change. When she came out, Jacob had left a toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter for her. She could hear him speaking with Billy in the kitchen, but couldn't hear the words.

After taking an exceptionally long time to brush her teeth and wash her face, she finally dried her face and walked to the bedroom door. Peering out the door, she could see Jacob standing at the counter fixing two mugs of coffee. It seemed she was going to have to face the music after all. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the kitchen. She pulled out the chair next to Jake, where he'd placed her coffee mug. She'd kept her head down at first, but then looked up at Billy.

"Hey, Billy," she said, purposely looking him in the eye while she sipped the coffee. She was trying to show him that she was still her, still human. Brown eyes, and consuming food and beverage.

Billy looked at her sharply and then Jake. Without saying a word, he backed up from the table and left the house. After he went out the backdoor, he leaned in and slammed it purposely-extra hard.

Bella cringed when he did it. Jacob sighed. He wasn't sure how Billy was going to react to the sight of Bella, but that reaction wasn't at all what he anticipated.

"Hungry?" he asked Bella, ignoring the elephant in the room. He pushed a couple of slices of bacon into his mouth, chewing them up while watching her. She rolled her eyes and put her head into her hands, blowing out air in a rush.

"No, Jake, I am _not_ hungry. I've just upset your father. How can you think about food right now?"

"I can always think about food, and you know what, he'll get over it. I think it's the shock that you're here and human. And looking amazingly hot, by the way," he looked at her and grinned.

She shook her head and "tsked" him. "He's your dad! How can you say that?"

"Look, I care very much about my dad. I think that should be obvious by now, especially to you. You know me better than most people. He's seen how sad I was when you left with the Cullens and didn't come back. Can you blame him for being so surprised?"

"I guess not. Maybe I should go, Jake. I shouldn't have dropped into your life like this. You've moved on. It looks like you're doing amazingly well for yourself. I don't want to mess up what you've accomplished." Bella stood from the table and carried her mug to the sink. She stood at the sink and sipped the last few swallows, staring out the window. Her mind replayed the first day she discovered Jake was a wolf. She had slapped Paul Lahote in the face and Jacob had come to save her.

As she turned around to ask Jake to take her back to the hospital, Billy returned. In his lap were a stack of books. He put them on the table at the place Bella had been sitting.

"Read them," he demanded and then left again. Bella glanced at Jacob, the question on both of their faces.

She sat down and opened the top book. Quickly, she realized it was some kind of journal or diary. She noted the first date was the day she got married to Edward. It didn't take long for her heart to start to break. As Jake read over her shoulder, he realized what Billy had given her. He had no idea that his father had kept journals about him. Jacob tried to take the books out of her hands, but she held onto the books and wouldn't let go. She read each page and when Jacob smelled her tears, he could only wonder what his father had written. Knowing what she went through, could have gone through because of Edward Cullen, he didn't want her to suffer anymore.

Yes, people could and would, say that she is selfish. That she should have known she was making a mistake. What did they think a teenager did when they crashed into a tree while texting? They made a mistake, an error in judgement. He could forgive her.

"Bells, honey," he began, but she stopped him with her fingers. He stopped talking when she did that and looked into her eyes, pleading that she not go on.

"I missed 10 years of your life. Ten years. Billy chronicled everything that happened. Did you know that?" Her eyes searched his. She was able to see the answer in them. He'd had no idea what Billy had done.

"Okay, you can read them. **_We_** will read them. But not all today, okay?" Jake practically begged.

"All right, Jake, if that's what you want."

"It's what I want, Bella," he admitted. She simply nodded and handed the remainder of the stack back to him, her silent compromise. Then she continued to read the journal she had already started.

Bella was engrossed in the writing, reliving the moments of Jacob's life she had missed. She didn't notice that he had wrapped his arm around the back of the chair and his legs around the seat of the chair.

While Bella was catching up on his life, Jake was enjoying the closeness they were having. There was no awkwardness, no insecurities, nor was there Edward Cullen in between them. The one question he was terrified to ask her was "what happened now?"

He couldn't stop himself from touching her hair. It was much shorter than it had been for all of her life. The highlights gave her a different look. He liked it. He liked it so much he leaned in and kissed the top of her head. Bella froze. Her hand hovered over the corner of the page as she reached to turn the page.

Jacob took advantage of her momentary lapse and took the last journal from her hands. This time she didn't fight and let it go. Once he set the book upon the stack, on the other side of him, his large hand rested over top of Bella's folded hands. Though she was looking down, he could see the slight smile on her face.

"I've missed you," he admitted softly.

"I've missed you, too. Very, very much. I wish I had been brave enough to come back to you, to call you, or to somehow let you know I was okay," she responded.

"Things were hard for you. I want to be mad, but I'm not. I'm just relieved you are okay. That you're human."

Reaching out, Jake gently turned Bella's face toward him and slowly leaned in to kiss her. She didn't pull away but returned the soft kiss. When he started to lean back, she followed and placed one more firm kiss to his warm lips. She pressed her fingertips to her lips, as if she were cementing his kiss to her mouth.

"Why don't we go back and get your car? Have you called Charlie yet? Was he expecting you?" Jake asked as he stood and rinsed out his mug.

"He knew I was here but I was supposed to stay at a little motel in Port Angeles. I'll call him and let him know I'm here. I'm sure I can stay with him," she shrugged as she gathered her purse and jacket.

"Do you want to stay at Charlie's?" Jake asked.

"Well, I don't want to stay in Port Angeles," she admitted. "So I guess it has to be Charlie's house."

"Will you stay here? You can have the guest room if you want, but please, Bells. Stay here," he gently pleaded.

 **Faves and follows are awesome. Think of it like a little dog treat for a dog lover. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Rated M**

 **Twilight still belongs to Stephenie Meyer, the vampire lover.** **Taking some creative liberty here since the community hospital in that area only does emergency deliveries. This story is fiction and not based on any real hospital. And…it's fluff. Straight fluff, so if action is what you're looking for, I'm sorry this will disappoint you.**

Bella easily agreed that she would stay at Jacob's house, but stubbornly insisted that she would stay in the guest room. First, they went to the hospital to get Bella's rental car and visit with Rachel and Angela. After that, they planned to have lunch with Charlie at the diner near the police station.

When Bella and Jake stepped out of the elevator, they were greeted with the loud snores of Paul as he reclined in the chair Jacob had occupied the day before. Jake walked up to him and kicked his foot lightly enough to wake his brother-in-law.

Groggily, Paul's eyes opened to meet Jake's. He simply nodded and stood up. They followed him into the room and Bella went around the curtain to see that the bed was moved.

"They moved her last night after someone else was sent home," Rachel said quietly as she held her baby in her arms. Bella turned back to face Jake's sister, almost of afraid of what she would see there. Though, once she looked, she realized Rachel wasn't even looking at her but staring at the baby.

"She's beautiful," Bella complimented.

"Thank you, Bella. Do you want to hold her?" Paul stood and blocked Bella's way, causing a slight disturbance in the room as Jake growled, Rachel barked at him to stop it and Bella stepped back into a chair making it squeal on the floor.

"Paul, knock it off, sheesh," Rachel said. She gave the baby to him and stood from the bed, stretching her body.

Paul nuzzled the baby's cheek and hesitantly walked closer to Bella. "Have you even held a baby before?" he asked.

Bella resisted the urge to roll her eyes and told him that she had a lot of experience with babies. She took the baby and held her, gently bouncing her as she talked softly.

Jacob watched, enraptured by the sight in front of him. He hadn't dared think of such a possibility before, but now, as he watched Bella holding a little Quileute baby, he couldn't help himself. He walked up behind her and looked down at his beautiful niece.

"Hey, cutie pie," he whispered, reaching around Bella and touching the baby's stomach. "You look like a natural, Bells."

She turned and looked up at him, noticing "the look." The look that said, _I still love you_ and _I wish this was our baby_. She knew the look because she was feeling the same way.

"She's looking a little yellow? Have they checked her bilirubin levels today?" Bella asked Rachel.

Rachel's eyes darted to Paul and then to Bella. "Did Jacob tell you that they were watching her for jaundice?"

"No," Bella started, hesitating. She and Jake had gone over a lot of things but her career path hadn't been one of them. "Actually, I'm a nurse. I've worked with mothers and babies for the last 3 years."

She gave the baby back to Paul and told them she wanted to go find her friend, Angela and visit with her for a while. Jake stepped up to take the baby from Paul and sat in the chair with her. He cooed at her and brushed his fingers over her soft hair.

The 3 adults sat chatting about random things and the baby. When Bella started to come back in the room, she paused in the hall as she watched Jake holding the baby. His eyes lit up and he was so gentle despite his large size. He made the baby look tiny in his hands. Her heart melted at the sight.

Jake glanced up and saw Bella watching him. He smiled at her breaking the trance.

"Ready?" he asked her. She nodded. Jacob lifted the baby and kissed her face, passing her back to Rachel. "See ya, Sis."

Together they left, both a little quieter than before. Bella pointed to the rental car and Jake followed her over to it. She stood by the door as he walked closer to her. He grabbed her free hand and held it in his. His fingers rubbed over her hand as he put his thoughts into words.

"I feel like there's so much about you I don't know. I'm not used to it. I want to know everything about you. Everything I missed. You know?"

Bella nodded.

"Seeing you holding Caitlyn that way—that got my mind to going. What if you hadn't left? What if that was you and our daughter?" He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles before gently letting them go. "Meet you at the diner?"

He turned before he said anything else and walked to his car. Bella took a deep breath and opened the car door, getting in. She sat still for a few minutes before starting the car and driving away. Jacob was already sitting with Charlie when she arrived.

Charlie stood when she came in, a big smile on his face.

"Bells, happy to see you finally. Why am I not surprised that you are here with this guy?" he laughed, pointing at Jake.

"Hey, Dad. I'm happy to see you too. It's been too long. How's it going?" she asked, deflecting.

"Good, good. Hungry though. Let's order some lunch and talk while we're waiting," he told her, sitting down opposite of Jacob. He made sure to sit in the center of the booth so that Bella would be forced to sit with Jake. She smiled to herself, of course she would sit with Jake. She wanted to be able to look at her dad easily.

During lunch they talked about Caitlyn and Angela's baby, Christopher. Bella gushed over the babies and how cute they were. She said that while she missed the babies, she wasn't missing the hectic pace of her job.

"When do you have to get back to work?" Charlie asked, as he shoveled a big bite of pie into his mouth.

"Well, the thing is, Dad…I kinda quit," she said, her head falling. She held her breath as she waited for him to scold her for being so immature and irresponsible. She continued to wait as nothing else was said.

"So, does that mean you're moving back to Forks then?" Charlie asked casually as he continued eating. Jacob stared out the window, his body unmoving as he waited for her reply.

"I was thinking Port Angeles but I might. Depends on where I can get a job," she finally admitted.

"What about all of your stuff?"

"Yeah, well, I sold it all," she squeaked. "Except a few things I didn't want to get rid of and my 2 suitcases full of clothes. All of my furniture and my car, those are gone."

"Not sure why you needed that big boat anyway," Charlie muttered.

"Now I need a car here. I was kind of hoping that Jake was working on something that I could buy off of him, but he doesn't really do cars anymore," she sighed.

"What do you mean, I don't do cars anymore?" he finally spoke up after sitting in silence for most of the lunch.

"You're a photographer now, so…"

"That's my job. Working on cars is a hobby. Have you seen the car I'm driving?" he smiled, jerking his thumb toward the window.

"In case you forgot," she whispered conspiratorially, "I don't know anything about cars. So whatever you're trying to tell me, you're going to have to spell it out."

"That car in the parking lot was a hunk of rust that I bought and spent 2 years turning into that beauty you see out there."

"What kind of car is it?" she asked.

"What? What kind of car is it? Bella, I'm appalled! It's a Dodge Charger. How can you not know this? Every red-blooded American knows what car that is!" he teased her.

She rolled her eyes and scraped her fork on the plate instead. "So, does that mean you'll help me find a car or not?"

"Not."

Her head whipped toward him, a shocked expression on her face. He reached out and tapped her chin lightly with his finger.

"I've already got the perfect one in mind. No 'finding' needed," he grinned.

She smiled at him and their eyes stayed locked until Charlie cleared his throat to get their attention.

"I have to get back to work, you two. It was good to see you, Jake. Bella, I'll give you the key so you can get in the house. I should be home in time for dinner," he said, pulling the key ring out of his pocket.

"Uh, Dad. That's another thing," she paused, swallowing hard. "I'm going to stay at Jake's. In his guest room. I didn't want to put you out or anything. It's just until I find a place of my own," she rushed on.

Charlie's eyes widened at his daughter's nervous babbling response.

"Bella, you don't need my permission. You didn't exactly care when you were 18, so what makes you so worried now?"

"I care what you think, Dad!" she spluttered.

"Okay, then I think you should stay with Jake. It's a good idea," he said, wrapping his arms around her for a quick hug as she stood frozen in place.

"See you soon, Charlie," Jake said, patting his shoulder.

Bella stood staring after Charlie, her mouth opening and closing as she attempted to think of a way to respond.

"Ready to go?" asked Jake, brightly. He began walking out, waving to their waitress behind the counter.

"Bye, Jacob!" she called out. "Don't be a stranger, Bella!"

The roar of Jacob's car engine made Bella snap out of her fog and she started her "clown car" as she dubbed it, following Jacob back to the reservation. In the driveway, Jake met her and offered to carry her things into the house. She popped the trunk and he grabbed the two large suitcases, as she reached in for the few small bags that were left. Once she stepped in the guest room, her eyes searched for the bags. Jake stepped in behind her and grabbed the bags she'd set on the bed and carried them out to his room.

"Hey! Wait! I said I was going to sleep in the guest bedroom!" she cried out as she followed behind him. He put the bags on the bench by the bed and spun around to her.

"I know what you said, and I know what **we** both want," he said, circling his finger between them to indicate the both of them. "I have a few empty drawers in the bathroom, so feel free to put your stuff in there. I can also make some room in the closet for your clothes."

Bella was stunned that she was again in the fish-out-of-water mode, her mouth gaping but no words coming out.

"If you want, I can start putting your things away for you," he offered, walking to the suitcase.

"No! I'll do it, you stubborn ass," she replied.

"Takes one to know one!" he laughed. "I'll be in the living room if you need me."

Bella knew when she had been played and lost, so she went into the bathroom and pulled open the drawers to find the empty ones. There were two sinks and one seemed to be occupied by Jacob and his things. The other one was empty but the drawers were dusty. She set about cleaning them and putting her things in them. In her mind, she was making a list of things she'd need, like drawer liners and organizers. For the time being leaving things in the Ziploc bags seemed like a good idea. When she grabbed her shampoo and conditioner, she decided a shower was long overdue. Gathering her clothes, she locked the bathroom door and started the shower. She relaxed under the warm water and decided to take care of all her body maintenance while she was in there. Just as she put her razor back in the bag, Jake knocked loudly on the door.

"Are you trying to see how much water you can use up?" he called out to her.

She shut the shower off and told him of course not, before wrapping herself up in the towel. He wriggled the locked handle and she gasped.

"Don't come in here! I'm not dressed!"

"Oohh, all the more reason to come in!" he responded.

"Jacob!"

"Okay, fine. I'll be in the living room, but I've got to leave soon just so you know."

"I'll be out in a couple of minutes," she told him.

True to her word, she entered the living room several minutes later dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, her hair wrapped up in the towel.

"Where do you have to go?" she asked.

"I have an appointment this afternoon with a lady I have done some work for," he told her. He checked his phone for the time and stood up.

"I should only be a couple of hours. Will you be here when I get back?"

"Keeping tabs on me already?" she asked, arching her eyebrow.

"Tabs? No, honey, never. I don't need to keep tabs on you. I wanted to know if I should bring home dinner for just me or for both of us," he stated. He stepped into her space and grabbed a piece of loose hair that she didn't get in the towel. He wrapped it around it his finger and then let it go.

"Oh," she whispered. "I'll be here. I don't really have anywhere else to be right now."

"Okay," he said quietly. "So I'll see you for dinner." Then he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Bella closed her eyes as she absorbed the warmth from his mouth. As he grabbed for the door handle, Bella called out to him.

"Jake, wait! How about I make something for dinner instead?"

"Sounds great, but let me give you some grocery money. My dad really did cook about all I had left in the fridge."

They spent the next several minutes arguing over the money when Bella pushed him out the door. When she got dressed and walked out to the car, she saw that he'd wrapped a note around some cash.

 **At least let me pay half…**

She counted the money. It was $100! "Half, my ass!" She thought.

Since she planned on eating at the house every day and maybe cooking for Billy too, she stocked up on all of the necessities. Her mind was lost in thought on the mental grocery list and the things she needed to organize the bathroom, so she barely noticed as she got in line to check out. As she unloaded the cart, she listened as the cashier flirted with the man in front of her. She rolled her eyes as the woman commented on the items he bought, fishing for information on his relationship status. _Poor guy,_ she thought.

"Thanks for coming in today…"she paused meaningfully.

"Embry," he answered.

Bella whipped around to look at the man she hadn't recognized. He looked to her and his eyes widened in surprise as well.

"Bella? You're back?"

 **Thank you to those that have taken the time to follow, favorite or review. I like to think of it as FF's like button...**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rated M

Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Still.

 _Embry and Bella just ran into each other at the grocery line checkout._

"I got back a couple of days ago," she said. Embry moved up so that Bella could pay for the food.

"That's a lot of food for you and Charlie," he noticed.

"Um, well, I'm not shopping for me and Charlie. I'm shopping for me and Jake, and Billy too probably," she answered quietly, as she watched the prices very carefully. She figured if she concentrated enough on that she wouldn't have to meet Embry's eye.

"You're staying at Jake's? Like in his house?"

Bella turned to face him after she'd paid the cashier. "In his house. Yes."

"Wow. I'm shocked. Like seriously shocked. The guy hasn't let another woman in that house, since-ever."

Bella smiled as she pushed the cart toward her car. She and Embry chatted as he helped her load everything into the trunk.

"When do you go back to Jacksonville?" he asked as he closed the trunk.

"What does he mean back to Jacksonville?" Jake questioned as he stepped up to the pair. His eyes looked…sad and disappointed.

"I was living near my mom in Jacksonville," she replied.

"I know. You told me that part. What I mean is, how does he know about Jacksonville?" Jacob's eyes bore into Embry, his supposed best friend. The best friend who knew that Bella was alive and well, and even knew where she was living and never told him.

"Em, I'll talk to you later," she turned to Jake. "How about we talk about this at home? We can put the food away before it thaws out."

Bella turned away without giving Jacob much of a choice and got in the car. She sighed as she thought about the conversation they needed to have. She hoped that Jacob could remain calm long enough for her to explain. If not, at least she had some things she would need for the place she would be living in.

Together they put things away in silence. Bella knew where most of the things went, as not much had changed over the years. Once the bags were emptied, Bella grabbed a cup and made a glass of ice water.

Jacob leaned against the counter, his feet crossed and his arms folded over his chest, looking rather unhappy.

"After I got back from the _honeymoon_ ," she said, clearing her throat, "I called Embry. Like I said before, I was too much of a coward to call you. I let him know that I had left Edward and was going to live with my mom until I got back on my own two feet. It was all too much. Being bitten like that. Alice swooping in to save the day. I was scared to death. But I couldn't help remember how you reacted that night. I didn't want to hear 'I told you so.'"

"So, let me get this straight. Embry has known the entire time?"

"I asked him not to tell you. When I asked him, I thought that I would tell you sooner rather than later. He told me I should have. But I didn't," she stammered.

"I can't believe he could keep that to himself all these years. He knew how torn up I was over your disappearance. Did anyone else know?"

Slowly, Bella stepped closer to him. Her eyes pleaded with him to forgive her, to try to understand. She'd spent the last 10 years beating herself up. She didn't need him to help, she'd done just fine on her own.

"Only my dad."

"This is all a lot. I've got to out for a bit-take a run."

Bella watched as he went into the bedroom. Her head dropped and she took cleansing breaths. He hadn't kicked her out yet and he didn't scream either. Maybe when he went out in the woods, he'd think it through and change his mind. She decided to put her efforts into dinner instead.

As she searched through the cabinets for a cast iron pot she knew they had, Jake came back out dressed in running pants, a tank top and sneakers. Bella couldn't hide her surprise. When he said run, she'd assumed as a wolf. Her eyes wandered down his muscled arms, deliciously defined. She noticed he flexed the tiniest amount as he walked.

"What are you looking for?" he asked.

"That cast iron pot," she told him. He nodded and went to the pantry, digging past some things at the bottom to pull it out.

"It hasn't been used in a while."

"I'll clean it up. Hopefully it hasn't rusted," she said, looking into it after he set it on the countertop. She could feel that he was still standing behind her and had moved up closer.

When he took a deep sniff of her hair, it sent chills through her frame. Her body shivered and then his hands rubbed down her arms. Her head dipped to touch her chest as she relaxed under his touch. Lightly, he pressed his warm lips on the back of her neck.

"I've just got to sort some things out. I'll be back."

"Okay, Jake."

After she heard the front door click shut, she inspected the pot closer. There didn't seem to be any rust, so she filled it with water and set it to high. Preparing dinner for others was something she hadn't done for a few years. She lived with Renee when she first got back from the honeymoon from hell. Once she started school, she moved out and started life on her own. She'd gone to college, lived on campus and graduated with a BS in Nursing. After graduation, she moved back to Jacksonville to live near Renee but decided that she couldn't live with her any longer. Her mother too easily slipped into the child role and Bella didn't want to be the mother anymore. So sometimes, to appease Renee, she would come over to Bella's apartment for a night. Bella would cook dinner for them, they'd watch a movie and gorge on junk food.

Of course, Renee couldn't leave well enough alone and started trying to set Bella up with every young guy she came into contact with. Unfortunately for Bella, Renee wasn't picky **. At all**. The drive-in kid, the car wash guy, but the kicker was the much older guy that looked like he'd used a bottle of oil in his greasy hair. That was the last one before Bella blew a gasket telling her mother to stop trying to set her up. She would find someone on her own.

At the hospital, Bella met a lot of nice guys that were good looking too. She went on dates but 4 or 5 dates was about the most. That middle age maturity made it hard for her to get along with guys her age. She didn't want to go out drinking, dancing at clubs or hang out at parties with tons of people she didn't know.

Working in a mother-baby unit at the hospital opened her eyes to a sad reality. Not all relationships were perfect. Naturally, those women weren't married to vampires, but there were many girls there without husbands or the baby's father. Some were very young, and some were victims of rape. There were days she'd cry. Cry with teenage mothers saying good-bye to a baby they gave up for adoption, cry with mothers who were so happy to be blessed with a baby or cry with mothers whose baby was born with a defect that they were afraid to handle. Yet, there were many more happy days. Every now and then, she would see a dark haired baby with beautiful brown eyes and it made her wonder what would have happened if she'd seen sense before marrying Edward.

A beef stew was starting to boil in the pot. Bella was surprised she was done prepping the food after having been lost in her thoughts. She looked at the clock. Jacob had been gone for 20 minutes. She wasn't sure how long he'd be gone, but she knew he had the stamina to run for some time.

It seemed like a good time to pull out the journals from Billy. So she found the first one and sat on the couch with it. Since Jake had been distracting her the first time around, she decided to read it from the beginning again.

 _I feel like I have failed as a friend and father today. I had to watch my best friend's daughter marry a Cold One. It took every bit of self-restraint to not scream out and stop the wedding during the ceremony. The only thing that kept me quiet was knowing that the rest of the Cullens were there staring at me. I wished that damned treaty had never been signed._

 _Bella looked so beautiful in her dress. I noticed how Charlie's eyes misted over when he walked her down the aisle and I realized that I would never get this opportunity with my daughters. Rebecca had already married and with Rachel, I wouldn't be able to walk._

 _I tried to picture myself at the head of the wedding, and a different groom with the beautiful bride. But, nevertheless, the pastor continued on and married them. Never the wiser that one of them was the undead._

 _Afterward, my poor son had to be dragged into the woods. I swear everyone could hear the sound of his heart breaking. He loved Bella Swan so much. It saddens me that he will never see her again. That none of us will. I cannot understand what has made her desire the life of the Cold Ones._

 _I pray that Jacob will be able to come back from this. That he will find his way in life, with his pack and with a family of his own. He has a big heart and he deserves to be loved deeply._

Bella hadn't realized she was crying by the time she'd finished the first entry. It was a warm hand and a tissue that brought it to her attention. She looked up to see Jacob perched on the edge of the couch, looking at her with confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm a dumbass, that's what," she laughed a little, wiping away the remains of the waterworks.

"Hmm. I think I knew that already," he smiled. She swatted his shoulder with the back of her hand.

"Jake!"

"Sorry, on my run, it's the exact conclusion I came to," he told her. His grin was infectious and she smiled back.

"Smells like dinner is ready," he said, standing up and walking into the kitchen. He lifted the lid with his bare hands as Bella warned him it was hot. He ignored her as he dipped a spoon in to grab a taste.

"I made enough for Billy."

"He's out with Old Quil. Don't worry about it. We can put what's left over away for him."

After dinner, Bella packed up the leftovers while Jake washed the dishes and put them away.

"Want to watch some TV?" Jacob asked, looking at Bella's backside as she made room for the bowls she'd packed.

"I would like to watch TV. Are you sure you wouldn't like just watching my ass?" She stood up and turned to laugh at him.

Jacob held his hand to his chin, thinking over what she'd said. "Can you turn around for a minute?"

Bella turned without thinking, watching over her shoulder. Jacob pretended to frame her backside into pictures.

"Jacob!" she squeaked, laughing and running out of the kitchen. He followed her, his long strides gaining on hers quickly. Just as she sat on the couch, she was assaulted with tickling fingers on her ribs. She squealed with laughter as Jake tickled her. Trying to get him back, she grabbed his knee and squeezed. When that didn't work, she tried his armpits.

After the tickling failed, she tried a new tactic. She ran her splayed hands up his chest to his neck. There she lightly ran her fingers around his neck to his ears and up his hair. His tickling stopped and Jake shivered under her touch. Her eyes met his and stayed there, unwavering in their intensity. She sucked her lips into her mouth and gently bit down on them. Jacob reached up and ran his finger over her mouth and then down along her jawline.

"So, what did you want to watch?" Bella finally breathed out.

"Well, your ass channel is fine, but I think I'd like to watch your mouth," he lightly teased her. His eyes were serious though as he leaned in. His lips met hers and he kissed her a couple of times. Her returning the kiss was a glorious feeling and he found himself kissing her deeply moments later.

It surprised him that he was the one to pull back first. Not that he hadn't been dreaming of a day that he could kiss her all he wanted. Even though they'd made progress, he wasn't ready to keep going. He wanted to savor the newness of this feeling.

"How was your run? Did you sort things out in your head?" Bella asked, genuinely curious.

"It was good. It's nice to run with only me in my head now. I've decided that I can spend time being angry and upset or I can enjoy every minute I get to spend here with you."

"You know, Jake, there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you, or that I didn't think about calling you."

"I'm glad Bells. I wish you had called, but you're here now."

"I'm here now."

Jacob turned and flipped the TV on to the evening news. They sat on the couch, his arm around her shoulders, acting like normal grown couples.

"Tomorrow, I have a photo shoot about an hour from here. Would you like to go with me? It'll be in a park, so there will be places for you to sit and read if you want."

"Sure, Jake. I'd like to go with you." Jake leaned back and looked at her face. His eyes gazed over each freckle, line and dip, memorizing her face all over again. Her eyes never stopped watching his. "I don't want to miss another second of your life," she told him honestly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Rated M**

 **Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, and I think it would be really cool if she wrote a bxj fanfiction. Another disclaimer here, I live in the SE United States and the closest I've gotten to Forks is Seattle in 2000 before Twilight even happened. Geography skills are internet based. So if you've been there and I'm making a big booboo, let me know. According to this, Port A is much further away than I have ever thought. A mountainous drive an hour away is not close and I can't see Bella ever driving that every single day.**

The next morning, Jacob woke to find Bella on the couch. She was sipping milk and crunching on a bowl of dry cereal with a book in her lap. Jacob smiled and kept going to the kitchen, turning on the coffee maker and dropping some bread in the toaster. He realized Bella was so engrossed in her reading she didn't even see him. So he walked up behind her to see that she was reading one of Billy's journals. She seemed to be much further into the book.

He couldn't resist messing with her a little bit. Carefully, he found one loose hair and slowly started tugging it. Bella's hand whipped up and rubbed her head from where he'd just plucked the hair. He took the hair and ran it along her shoulder, the skin bare from her tank top. She ran her hand over the spot but continued to read. He did this a few times before he could no longer contain the laughter built up inside.

"Jake! You dork!" she laughed as she closed the book and put it on the coffee table.

"I thought we were going to read those together," he commented.

"Your dad is irresistible. I had to keep reading. I feel awful for what I put him through as well. He thought he failed the both of us."

"He did?" Jake asked, thinking that over. He remembered his dad being supportive of him and gently pushing him to move forward with his life.

"So what time do we need to leave for your photo shoot?"

"We should probably leave here around 10. I checked the weather. It's supposed to rain this afternoon, so if the weather moves in sooner, I'll have to reschedule."

"Do you want me to pack a picnic lunch?" Bella offered.

"I don't usually eat much when I'm working, but sure. Then when we're done, we have something to eat."

"You reject food? Gosh, you have changed a lot!" Bella quipped.

Jake chuckled and finished eating his breakfast.

Bella brought the first and second journals with her in the car. She didn't want to read while Jake was driving but she wasn't sure how long the photo shoot would take and the first one was almost done. As she stared out the window, she thought over some of the events she had read about that morning. Part of her thought that Jake may have had a complete mental breakdown over her disappearance but according to Billy, he'd stayed generally well put together. He'd needed some encouragement to go back to school when she didn't return, but he went and did well.

After graduation, he appeared to be better to others. However, Billy knew that underneath it all, Jacob was still hurting, as he was as well. He was suspicious of Charlie who'd given him no information about her whereabouts, but acted a bit kooky whenever Billy tried to ask. Thankfully, he was able to talk Jacob into getting a job with the council. He was doing odds and ends around the reservation, nothing too difficult for a guy like Jake. It was during those trips to various parts of the reservation, that Jacob started bringing an old camera to take pictures.

Of course, that was as far as she got. She knew that eventually the picture thing became his primary job, and that he was pretty successful. In her mind, she could see how Jake was at peace with nature. It was easy to picture him walking around the forest or the beach appreciating all that the Earth had to provide. A smile settled on her face.

"What are you smiling about over there?" Jake asked, resting his open palm on her leg. She turned to look at him and the smile grew larger. Her hand rested lightly on top of his.

"Just thinking about you. The journal was about your job for the council and how you started taking pictures."

"I took pictures before that, but that's when I started taking more pictures of the landscapes. It focused my mind," he replied, glancing over at Bella's face every now and then.

"All this time I thought I knew you so well. I had no idea that you were into photography. I thought it was all cars, girls and patrols!" She giggled.

"Girls? What are you talking about? There was only ever one girl," he shrugged. "But she was always on my mind, so I guess you're kind of right. Bella, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, Jake. Of course."

"When was the last time you talked with a Cullen?" He kept his eyes on the road and when she didn't answer, he quickly glanced over at her.

"Honestly, Jake, I still talk to Esme. Once a year. She calls me to check in. But that's it. None of the others."

They sat quietly for some time over that. Jake realized that he didn't love the answer but it felt better to know the answer than wonder. He didn't want to get into a heavy discussion about the Cullens yet, and he told her that. But he also told her that one day soon, he'd want to have more of his questions answered. Bella agreed. It seemed unfair that she had a written history of Jake's life, so she would try to fill him in on everything she could.

When they turned into the parking lot, Bella looked around. They weren't exactly at a park but she hadn't been paying too close of attention as to where they were headed. An hour's drive could be Lake Crescent if they had gone north but to the south they'd be headed to the Quinault reservation. Either way they had to drive around the Olympic Forest.

"Where are we?" she finally asked.

Jake didn't answer, but he grabbed a chair from the trunk and put his arms through the handles like a backpack. Bella gathered her jackets and bag with the journals and followed Jacob up a path. Even with his large bag and a tripod, he wasn't weighed down in the least. She tried not to slip on the path or trip going up the many steps.

It didn't take too long for her to figure out where they were, as she could hear the rush of water falling. Which water falls they were at, she wasn't too sure.

"Sol Duc Falls," Jacob announced as they came up to the falls. Bella stopped to marvel at the sight around her. Florida had its own beautiful landscape with the beach and the ocean, but it didn't have this emerald beauty. The mist from the water floated up around them. Jacob found a flat spot off to the side and set the chair up for Bella.

After she sat down, he leaned in and planted a kiss to her cheek. "Now, don't go slipping and falling in. I could save you but I'd have to answer a lot of questions about _how_ I saved you." He chuckled as he pulled away.

Bella found that she was too busy watching Jacob work to read. The way he walked around first to find the right spot to set up and then took some pictures and looked back through them to see if he liked the way they'd turned out was impressive. She was sure he had a distinct disadvantage over others with his supernatural senses, but no one needed to know that. Instead they could all benefit from his keen vision.

A young couple walked up to Jake and she watched as he shook both of their hands. He started gesturing to different things around him and finally he walked the couple over to a place that had the falls in the background. After positioning them, he walked over to the camera to check and took a picture. This little routine repeated itself over and over. Bella was mesmerized by Jacob. The bag never opened and even though she'd been looking forward to reading more, this was more interesting.

When all of the possible shots were taken, Jacob removed his camera from the tripod and carried it over to the couple. He laid their hands together on the fence and leaned in closer with his camera. Bella could tell that he was taking pictures of her ring.

It seemed like it was all over in a few short minutes, but looking at her watch, Bella realized they'd been there for nearly an hour and a half. No wonder Jake didn't eat when he was working. He was too busy to think about food. As he packed up, the couple continued to chat with him. The bag slung over his shoulder, he made his way to Bella.

"Ready to go, Bells?" he asked her.

The young woman smiled and introduced herself as Anya. Her new husband's name was Quinn and they'd had a small wedding ceremony with only family. They decided to splurge on some after wedding photos that they'd keep since they didn't have a big reception or party. Anya was really excited to work with Jake as she had seen his work before and loved it. Quinn paled a bit when she went on to say that she hoped Jake would be able to shoot their first baby announcement. Then she'd laughed and said they had plenty of time for that.

Jake and Bella waved the couple off from the parking lot as Jacob packed their things back into his car. He grabbed the cooler and a blanket, and closed the trunk.

"Ready for that picnic lunch?" he asked.

"There's not really any picnic tables," Bella noted.

"That's okay. I'll find a good spot."

Bella followed him down a trail. It wasn't paved like the one they'd already taken, but it was mostly smooth. Jacob found a place where they could sit and eat off the trail. He opened the cooler and handed Bella her drink and sandwich before digging in himself.

"This place is beautiful," Bella commented, breathing in the fresh air.

"It freezes over in the winter. It's striking. Like some kind of foreign planet," Jake said.

"How would you know?" she asked, taking the bait. "I thought it was closed here during winter."

"Sometimes the road is closed due to snow. But that wouldn't stop me from being able to get here," he smiled meaningfully.

She laughed. "Of course, nothing could stop you, Chief Jacob."

Bella leaned in and laid her head on Jacob's shoulder. They could have been sitting on barren desert and she would have been happy. Scorching hot, but happy to be there with Jake.

They enjoyed the sounds of nature and the picturesque view with each other, feeling no need to fill the silence with chatter. Jacob fiddled with leaves and twigs that had fallen on the ground. He twisted them together and made some kind of design, which eventually got snapped and he dropped the remains back to the ground.

"It's going to start raining soon. We should head back to the car. I don't want you to get wet or you'll be freezing," Jake announced as he stood and grabbed hold of the cooler. Bella stood up and grabbed the blanket, shaking it out before folding it over her arm.

Jacob reached back and grabbed her hand. Bella squeezed her fingers around his warm hand enjoying the normalcy of the moment. Once they were back in the car and on the road, Bella reached over and grasped Jake's hand again. He turned to her and smiled, enjoying her touch as a well.

"I hope you don't mind, but I kind of planned a surprise for us," Jacob said, screwing his face up a little in anticipation of screaming.

"Cool," Bella replied, but the quick double beat of her heart gave away her excitement. She wondered if Jake heard it, but she didn't want to ask just in case.

Concentrating on the route, Jacob pulled up in front of a large gray house with a wraparound front porch. It seemed to be someone's house and Bella asked who they were there to see. Jacob didn't answer, instead he started walking to the front door. He pulled some keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, Bella following in behind him. Bella was expecting someone to greet them as she glanced around the place. It was modern but cozy.

Whispering, Bella asked Jake whose house they were in. He walked into the kitchen without answering her. On the counter was a beautiful vase of red roses.

"I think these are for you," Jake said, reaching for the card.

"Jacob!" Bella scolded just above a whisper. "Don't touch those! Those wouldn't be for me! Like anyone would know I was going to be here at all!" She reached out to grab his arm as he got closer to the flowers. He started laughing loudly and Bella turned around looking for the person who lived in the house. There was a box of chocolates on the counter next to it. Jacob lifted the lid and ate on quickly before grabbing another.

Jacob popped the second chocolate in his mouth and turned to the fridge. He opened the door and surveyed the contents. Reaching in, he grabbed a bottle of wine. Then he opened cabinets until he found 2 wine glasses. He made short work of pouring them both a glass and brought them over to where Bella stood looking very uncomfortable.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" he asked.

"Do I want the glass of wine you've stolen from somebody's house? No! No, I'm uncomfortable. I keep waiting for someone to pop out and yell 'aha!'" she continued to rant in a loud whisper.

"Well, I've got to go to the bathroom," Jake announced rather loudly. He walked down the hall and opened a door. "Oops! That was the closet." Then another door opened and closed.

Bella looked around the kitchen and noticed it lacked a lot of personal touches. When she looked at the envelope in the flowers, it did say _**Bella**_ on it. She reached up and took it from the plastic stick and opened the card.

 **For Bella, There's no one I would rather be here with than you. Love, Jacob**

She rubbed her fingers over the card. It was obviously his handwriting and he'd somehow had the flowers delivered to the house. She woke up before him that morning, so someone else had to have done it for him. It warmed her heart that he would do something so nice for her.

"Hey! You touched the envelope!" he accused, laughing.

Bella turned around and looked at Jake, leaning against the door frame. She couldn't believe how wonderful he was being. It didn't seem fair that she got off so easily for the crap she'd put Jake through.

"You know, there's no one I'd rather be here with than you either, Jake. Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers. I love them."

"Come here, there's something else I want to show you."

Jacob grabbed her hand and led her to the master bedroom upstairs. Bella's heartbeat quickened when she saw where he'd led her, but he continued walking to a set of French doors. He opened one and she stepped out onto the balcony. She could see the river rushing by behind the house and enjoyed the soothing sound. Jacob sat on a swing and patted the seat beside him. Bella sat slowly, worried the swing would give and she'd hurt herself. After she relaxed and leaned back, Jacob put his arm around her shoulder and gently moved the swing.

"Hang on a sec," he said as he disappeared into the house. Bella continued to push the swing lightly with her feet as she sat there enjoying herself. Jacob returned with a blanket, the wine and some snacks on a tray. Bella stopped swinging so he could sit. When he turned to look at her, all he could see was love shining in her eyes. So he leaned in and gave her a tender kiss.

"This is beautiful. Great surprise, Jake."

 **Good fluffiness?**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Rated M

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

 **Thank you to everyone that is reading this. Glad you're enjoying the fluff. Even those who are silent, I know you're there, so thanks to you too.** **I'm kind of sad because summer vacation is coming to an end all too quickly. As much as I love summer, it feels good to have something to do as well. Summer vacation is a whole lot more fun when you have money to do something. This summer it hasn't been in the budget. So until I go back to work, I'll try to get some loose ends tied up.**

 _Jake and Bella were swinging on the porch at the house._

"Jake, whose house is this?" Bella asked, finally breaking the silence.

He chuckled. "It's really bothering you, isn't it?"

She nodded, laughing with him.

"It's just a rental house. I have seen it before when I've been out this way. Yesterday, when I went out for a bit, I was arranging everything. We have it for the weekend. There's food in the fridge. We have to leave Monday morning."

Bella blushed lightly as she thought about his reason for renting a house away from the pack and his dad.

"I didn't rent it for the reasons you're probably thinking. I just wanted us to have a little getaway from everything. A place that was neutral territory for both of us." He paused and swallowed thickly. Bella watched as his Adam's apple moved a little.

"Maybe I was trying to be a little romantic too," he said.

"This is really nice," Bella answered, scooching closer and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Do you want to go out to dinner or would you rather cook something here?" he asked.

"Well, I don't really have anything to wear out. So I guess we can stay here."

Jacob stood up and jerked his head toward the house. Bella followed him back into the bedroom and watched as he pulled a bag from the closet. When he lifted the plastic, he revealed a gorgeous little black dress.

"Jake! Wow," she responded surprised. "Did you pick this out?"

"I'd like to say I was that romantic. But, no. Emily and Kim helped me out. They also packed some of your other clothes. I hope you don't mind that they looked through your stuff. We had to be quick since I didn't know how long you'd be at the grocery store."

"You are very sneaky, Mister," she told him. "Did they pack shoes to go with it?"

Jacob turned back into the closet to look through the bags the girls had packed. When he turned back around, Bella was standing closely behind him. She backed up but didn't have anywhere else to go since the closet was small. She smiled at the situation. Jacob smiled back and leaned in for a sensuous kiss. Bella reciprocated, sliding her tongue against his.

Quickly, the kiss turned heated and they were both exploring each other with their hands. Bella's hands rubbed along Jake's arms up to his shoulders, rubbing the thick muscle there. Jake had one arm wrapped around her torso with the other gripping her hip. His fingers massaged the skin there, trying to keep his hand from traveling lower.

They broke apart and Jake placed one more soft kiss on her lips.

"A little appetizer, huh?" Bella teased, raising one eyebrow.

"You little tease! Let's get out of here before I never let you out."

Bella grabbed the bag full of her clothes and put it on the bed. She pulled things out to see what was in there. Thankfully, they'd packed black undergarments, so she took the bag of travel toiletries and headed to the shower. Her eyes widened when she saw the bathroom.

"Jacob!" she called. "Have you seen the bathroom? It is amazing! This shower has so many buttons, I don't know which one to push!"

"Can I come in?" Jacob asked from outside the door.

Bella unlocked it and let him in. He opened the drawers and found a laminated instruction guide to the shower. They looked over it together. Bella's face pinching in concentration as she tried to understand all of the steps.

"I'll get it going for you," Jake told her as he stepped into the shower and started pushing the buttons. He wasn't expecting the water to spray where he was standing so in a few seconds he was drenched with water from 4 different ways.

"Um, Jake. It did say to close the door all the way before turning it on!" Bella laughed at this predicament. He smiled and opened the door. She held a towel out to him but instead of taking it, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in.

She squealed loudly, trying to cover her face with her hands.

"Is it funny now, Bella?" he asked.

"No! Now we're going to get the floor soaked when you get out to get the towels!"

"Oh, who cares? Lighten up, honey," he replied before leaning down and kissing her soundly. She responded immediately and their kisses picked back up where they'd left off in the closet. Bella started to unbutton Jacob's shirt and pushed the wet mess down his arms. Jake was reluctant to try to take off Bella's shirt, so he simply pushed his hands up the bottom and held onto her waist. His thumbs brushing against her stomach, causing it to tighten as she flinched.

Finally, Bella realized Jake wasn't going to remove her shirt. So she reached down and started pulling it over her head. Of course, since it was soaking wet, it stuck to her and was harder than usual to get off. Jake helped her tugging it over her head like she was a small child. He wrapped his hands gently around her neck, his thumbs brushing her jawline, while his fingers twisted in her hair. His legs spread wide to make himself shorter without bending quite so much.

In a bold move, Bella reached out and tugged on the front pockets of his jeans. She pushed her fingers down in the pockets. At first, she didn't think about what she might be touching. She just needed something to hold on to and pockets seemed like the right thing. Her fingers brushed something and she grabbed it and started feeling it.

It didn't take long to figure out what was in the little square pouch. She let it go, not wanting to ruin their moment. But it was Jacob who hesitated and pulled back.

"I didn't want to assume that something might happen but I didn't want to be unprepared in case something did," he told her quietly in her ear. "If it was something you wanted, I wanted to be able to give it to you."

"It's okay. I'm not upset. But, I don't think I'm ready for that yet. This is nice, what we're doing now."

"Do you want me to leave so you can finish your shower?"

Bella took a deep breath and looked up into Jake's eyes. He had been so calm about everything and unbelievably forgiving. She knew they weren't ready to have sex yet. There were too many unanswered questions between the both of them. But he'd said he wanted a romantic weekend, so she wouldn't disappoint him.

"Jake, how would you feel about washing my hair?" she asked timidly.

Slowly, Jake started removing the rest of his clothes, understanding her question as an invitation to shower with her. She mirrored him and removed her pants and then her underwear too. They both stood facing each other completely naked for the first time. Bella tried not to feel self-conscious as Jake stood comfortable in his body.

He reached out and gently pulled her under the spray of the shower heads. She leaned her head back and enjoyed as he stepped closer to massage her hair. After it was wet, he poured shampoo in his palm and worked it into her hair. Of course, he made sure to massage her scalp tantalizingly slowly and rubbed her neck before rinsing it. Bella was putty in his hands and was amazed she was still standing on her own. He continued to run his fingers through as he rinsed the shampoo out and then worked the conditioner in. Her hair was so much shorter than it was when she'd gotten married. He really liked her new style.

After her hair was rinsed, Jacob opened the little bar of soap and handed it to her.

"Wash my back?" he asked. Bella stepped out of the way so that he could soak his body under the warm spray. She lathered her hands around the bar and then put it on the shelf. Starting at the top, she first soaped his entire back and then went back and rubbed her hands over his smooth skin. As she made repeated passes, she went outward a little further each time. When her hands met at his chest, he intertwined their fingers, making her step closer to his back. They both shivered when her nipples grazed his skin. He guided her hands up his chest and down his stomach, stopping just before his groin. Suddenly, he let go and turned around, kissing her deeply. He backed them under the water and let the water rinse him as he continued to show Bella how much he'd missed her. Bella had no problem showing him right back.

"This place has one of those on-demand water heaters, so it will never get cold. We, however, might shrivel up into little prunes if we don't get out of here soon," he told her as he pressed the OFF button on the panel.

Jacob stepped out of the shower and put the already damp towel on the floor before getting two dry towels for them. He went about getting ready for dinner as did Bella. Neither acted as if this was something new. It was as if they had been doing it forever.

Bella took longer to get ready than Jake as she had to put on some makeup and dry her hair. She'd learned how to put makeup on over the years and while she didn't wear a lot, she did wear it. If she was going out on a nice date with Jake, she wanted to look her best.

 _Wait. Date? Was this a date?_ Surely it had to be. They were going somewhere together and after that **hot** scene in the shower, she was pretty sure it was.

Stepping carefully down the stairs in the high heels the girls had packed for her, Jake stood to enjoy the view. She looked beautiful. He thought she was always did, but it was extra special to see her all dressed up.

"Ready?" he asked, trying to find a way to discreetly adjust the stiff boner he was suddenly sporting. Knowing what was under that dress was making it worse as he now had vivid pictures to go with his fantasies.

"Yep," was her reply as she continued to concentrate on the stairs. Jacob walked up to meet her at the bottom and she stumbled a little bit before he caught her. They were closer to eye level this way and Bella enjoyed the balance. She placed a peck on Jake's lips.

"You look good," she said. "I might have to beat the other women off with a stick or pee on your leg or something."

Jake froze and looked at her before she burst out laughing at his reaction.

"Pee on my leg?"

"You know, mark you with my scent," she shrugged.

"Ooohh, mark me, huh? I kind of like that idea, but not with pee. That's just gross, Bells."

He grabbed her hand and led her out the front door, locking it before walking to the car. They drove into Port Angeles for dinner. There was a new uppity restaurant Jake wanted to take her to. Neither of them usually got dressed up to go out to eat, so they enjoyed the change.

When they walked in, Jacob gave the hostess their name and she said that their table would be ready soon. She led them to a nice waiting area where there were benches and small tables. A server was walking around with a tray of small cups. They each took one and tried the veggies and dip.

It didn't take long before the hostess came to get them for their table. Bella noted it was a small booth in the back away from the hustle of the kitchen. She took the menu and began looking it over. The waiter walked up and introduced himself as Henri, listing the selection of wines when Jacob asked. Jake ordered for them and Henri smiled at them both before leaving.

The meal ended up being amazing. Neither Jake nor Bella tried something they didn't like. They ordered different things so that they could try the other's food. Bella enjoyed the attention that Jake lavished on her. The conversation flowed freely, never an awkward lull. Any time they were quiet was simply because their mouths were full.

Henri brought out a tray of decadent desserts. Bella couldn't decide which one she wanted, so Jake ordered one of each. They could wrap up whatever was left and take it back to the house. The desserts came back with an extra one from the chef, who was thrilled with their enjoyment of the food. It was already packed in a to-go container and wrapped with a red ribbon.

"The chef says that you will find the reheating directions in the container for your dessert. No need to open it until you get home," Henri explained with his French accent.

Bella looked over the desserts in front of her. She decided to try the custard in a molded chocolate cup first. When it hit her tongue, she moaned. Then she clapped her hand over her mouth, embarrassed. Jacob chuckled at her and pulled the handmade éclair toward him. He cut it in half with his fork and passed the other half to Bella. Bella nodded her approval as she ate a bite of the éclair. The last two desserts were a little interesting but in the spirit of the date, Bella had decided to try the roasted banana. The peel was slit open and a caramel sauce was drizzled over the top. She sliced a piece off and took a bite. Then she reached for her water and started guzzling it down.

"Mmm…okay, well I found something I'm not a fan of eating tonight," she said as Jacob laughed at her. He tried the banana and said he liked it.

The last plate was the flat spoons all heaped with various mousses and fruit garnish. Bella took the one with the strawberry first and Jacob took the banana, figuring Bella wouldn't eat that one. The last two had candied oranges and raspberries.

Bella announced she was stuffed to the gills after dessert and was sure Jacob would have to carry her to the car. They chuckled at her remark. After Henri scanned Jacob's card, he brought back the folder with the receipt.

"You both have a nice night now," Henri smiled widely at Jacob and then Bella before he walked away. Bella looked at Jake to see his reaction to the odd good-bye from their server. Jacob smiled hugely, signing the receipt and clasping a piece of paper into his palm. Then he stood and helped Bella into her jacket before grabbing their dessert. As they walked away, Bella asked Jacob what was in his hand. He ignored her until they got into the car. After he started the car, he handed the little paper over.

 **Call me if you are both looking for a good time.** _ **Henri**_

They both burst into laughter as Bella read the note aloud. It seemed that they were both getting hit on. It was definitely a first for Bella. She had never been propositioned at all, let alone for a ménage á trois.

"That was just the icing on the cake. I think that's the best dinner I've ever had, Jake, and it wasn't just because the food was good. I had a great time with you," Bella gushed.

Jacob didn't say anything. He didn't have to. She knew he enjoyed it as much as she did. When they got back to the house, Bella untied the ribbon to check the dessert the chef had given them. She didn't want it to spoil but there was no way she could eat another bite.

When she opened the little inoffensive container and grabbed the card, she gasped loudly. Jacob came up behind her to see what was wrong with it. He squinted his eyes to read the small print on the card but even his jaw dropped.

"Wow. Those are some dirty little pervs working there!" Bella said. She closed the lid to the box and started to carry it to the trash bin.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked, stopping her.

"Really?" she fired back.

"Let's hold onto it for now. We might change our minds," he answered. He held her eyes and didn't move a muscle. Finally she gave in and stuck it in the fridge, mortified that someone would write such things to them.

 **A/N: I'll just leave it to your imagination what the note said from the chef. ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

Forgiveness Doesn't Have to Be Hard

Chapter 7

 **Rated M**

 **Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I just like imagining what could have happened if Bella didn't turn into a vampire, or stay with Edward.**

Bella twirled the red ribbon in her fingers from the dessert. Jacob reached out and grabbed it from her, grabbing her pinky and gently tugging it. She stepped forward, closer to Jake, but tilting her head down.

"Do you want to head up to the swing?" He asked quietly. Bella simply nodded. Jake turned to lead the way. As he went up the stairs, he started peeling off his shirt and belt. Bella's heart thudded as she thought about the time they'd spent together in the shower.

He tossed the shirt and belt on the dresser and stepped on the heel of his shoes to take them off. Then he grabbed a quilt off the rocking chair and went out onto the porch.

Bella kicked off the heels and went into the closet to look through the bag the girls packed her. Thankfully there were some yoga pants and a sweatshirt. She quickly changed, stuffing the bra she was wearing into the bag. Jake peeked in when she was sitting on the edge of the bed putting on some socks.

He opened the door wider for her as she padded out onto the porch. The quilt had been hung over the back of the swing so that Bella could wrap up in it when she sat down. Jake sat down first and Bella cozied up beside him, pulling the quilt around her shoulder.

The swing gently rocked as they sat in silence, listening to the sound of the water rushing past. Eventually, Bella dozed off and Jacob continued to hold her as he enjoyed the peace of nature and the lull of the swing. When he felt his head jerk up after falling asleep himself, he carefully lifted Bella and carried her into the house.

Even though sleep came easily to him on the swing, once he was in the bed, sleep was elusive. He stared at Bella while she slept, his mind replaying the story of her honeymoon. He hadn't seen her in 10 years. Did she have any boyfriends or date while she was in Florida? He had tried dating, but every time he'd find some flaw that he couldn't deal with.

In the beginning, the guys heckled him to try a second date but eventually they left him alone. They'd all moved on in their lives and trying to get their friend to do something that he didn't want to, was pointless.

It had taken some courage to finally date someone long enough to sleep with them. But, even though the sex was fine, the girls didn't enjoy being with a guy that didn't want to settle down and get married, or take them to his house.

The last girl he dated was 2 years ago. Two years ago, Jacob had decided to give up dating until the right girl came along. He figured when he met her, he would know. It seemed his subconscious mind was pretty smart.

The wolf left him years ago but left behind the enhanced senses. Jake still kept himself physically fit by running and doing some weightlifting. He continued to be warmer than most.

Eventually, Jacob drifted off, his last memory of watching Bella sleep peacefully. It was his nose that woke him in the morning. Without opening his eyes, he rolled onto his back and reached his arms up over his head to stretch out his back.

"Hey, sit up," Bella told him. Jake opened his eyes and saw Bella standing next to the bed with a lap tray in her hands. He shifted in the bed so that he could sit up and then Bella put the tray across his legs. His hand reached out a grabbed a sausage link, narrowly missing hers as she pulled her hand back.

"Thanks for cooking," he told her. She turned and headed out of the bedroom. Jake grabbed the fork and cut up the waffles Bella had made. He savored the taste that only seemed to come from food she made.

When she came back upstairs with her own tray, she chuckled at the amount of food he'd eaten while she was gone for a short time. Both trays were ready, she could only carry one at a time. Jake steadied her tray as she climbed on the bed next to him. They continued to eat in silence until most of the food was gone.

"Did you have any plans for today?" Bella asked, as she sipped from a travel mug.

"I didn't have anything set in stone. Rachel and Paul went home from the hospital last night. I want to give them a few days to get settled before I go over. Did you want to visit your friend, Angela?"

"She went home too. I've been keeping in touch with her by text. She's really exhausted. I might go see her Monday after we leave here. Maybe we could go for a hike?"

Jacob just looked at her but didn't say a word. She smiled at him. "What?"

"You want to go for a hike?" His voice echoed his obvious surprise.

"I know I'm not the most athletic person on Earth, but I think I can do okay with you. If worse comes to worst, you can phase and I can hop on, right?" She smiled.

"Well, you can hop on my back, but Bells, the wolf is gone. I don't phase anymore. I haven't in a long time."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I assumed. That was dumb of me," she said, quickly backpedaling.

Jacob set his empty tray on the floor and turned back toward Bella. He reached out to her plate and grabbed a grape.

"You didn't know. Don't feel bad. I assumed you knew since I haven't been patrolling or anything. Why don't we go wash up the dishes real quick and then we can get a shower?"

"A shower, huh?"

"Definitely want to have you wash my back again. That was awesome."

"So, I'll wash and you dry?"

Together they cleaned the kitchen, and then later, each other in the shower. Jacob seemed to sense Bella's hesitation for getting too close in the shower, so he kept his hands to himself as much as possible.

Later, when they pulled up to the trailhead for their hike, Jacob harnessed the rucksack on his back and held his out his hand for Bella. She wrapped her fingers in his and looked up into the woods. They walked for nearly an hour before stopping.

Jake sat on a boulder and patted the space in front of him, indicating that Bella should sit there. She climbed up and sat in front of him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Bella watched the forest around them, and Jacob rested his forehead against the top of her head.

Neither spoke as they enjoyed the serenity of nature and the comfort of the other's nearness.

"What's next for us, Bells?" Jacob asked her.

"I'm not sure. I feel like it's unfair for you to forget everything that's happened and have us move on like I never hurt you."

"Okay. Let's say that I can move on and forget that you ever hurt me. That you being here now is all I needed to heal."

"Honestly, I would love that. I've dreamed of it for years. I'm afraid that down the road, your true feelings would come out and we'd start fighting with each other."

"Do you think we'd be strong enough to get through that together?" He asked.

"I hope that we're strong enough to get through anything together, Jake." Bella turned to look him in the eyes. He leaned down and his warm lips pressed into hers. Their eyes stayed on each other, not closing. Bella opened her lips and slipped her tongue into Jake's mouth, letting her tongue lightly dance against his. It was gentle and unhurried.

"I brought my camera. I was hoping to get some good pictures while we were out here."

Carefully, Jake climbed down from his position on the large rock and opened the rucksack. It took him a few minutes to assemble the camera and when he snapped a picture of Bella, she squealed.

"No! Don't take pictures of me!" She giggled and turned her head away.

"What are you talking about? There's nothing else here I want to photograph!" Jake chuckled as he continued to click away without her knowledge, loving how her face lit up with happiness. He wasn't a portrait photographer, so this was perfect.

"Why don't you just sit there for a minute? I'll take some pictures, you don't even have to look at me."

Bella didn't respond. She scratched at an imaginary spot on her brown cords. Slowly, her eyes peered up at Jake and she watched as he took the pictures he wanted. It took effort for her to keep from complaining, mostly because she was embarrassed when she was the center of attention.

"All done, sweetheart," Jake said as he packed things back into the bigger bag. "Do you want to go look at your new car?"

"Sure. Where is it?"

"Ahh. That's part of the surprise!"

A few hours later, Bella stood staring at a rusty hunk of metal. Her eyes moved from the flat tires, to the dents, and missing paint. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind when Jacob said he had the perfect car in mind for her. As she stood with her arms crossed, unmoving, Jacob walked around the car, talking about what a great car it would be.

"There's a big problem with this heap, Jake."

He looked up at her with surprise.

"What's wrong with it? It's a classic, Bells."

"A classic piece of junk! How am I going to get around in this? The truck was old but it…worked!" Her hand shook at it, as if to accentuate her point. "I need to get a job and to get there, I need something that runs."

When she turned around to look at him, he was shaking with laughter. He realized she was looking at him and the laughter bubbled out into full guffaws.

"Oh, I totally had you!" He continued to laugh as he walked up to a stunned Bella. "Oh, honey. I don't think you should get this piece of crap. I can't believe you fell for it." Quickly, he dropped a kiss on her lips and backed up before her hands could slap his chest.

"All right, smartass. Where's the real car?"

"Follow me."

This time, Bella followed Jake behind the rusty piles of cars and a modular building that served as the office to the junkyard. There was a large garage and Jake started to push the big metal door open. Looking behind them, Bella watched for someone to come out and start yelling at them.

Once inside, Jake flipped a light switch. There were 6 cars in the garage, all covered with white covers. He walked determinedly to the last car on the left and grabbed the corner of the cover.

"Ready?"

Bella nodded. Jake tugged back the cover and revealed a shiny, black Jeep. The car didn't seem very old and Bella wondered why it was at a junkyard. She walked up close and peered inside the vehicle. It had nice leather seats and was a hardtop. It would be great for her. She liked it.

"So?"

"It's great. I like it. But why's it here at the junkyard?"

"Is that Bella Swan I hear?" boomed a voice from behind them. Bella turned to see Quil walking up to them.

"Quil! Hey! Is this your place?" Bella smiled at him. He walked straight up to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"How are you, girl? You are looking fantastic! Yes, this is my place. Embry and I own it together. But this baby here. This car is mine. I finally fixed up an old muscle car like Jake and I don't really drive it anymore. I've been thinking about selling it, but haven't really tried. When Jake told me he had the perfect buyer for it, I wasn't sure who he had in mind. If you want it, I'll give you a great deal. You know it comes from a loving home." Quil smiled at her.

"Definitely. How have you been, Quil? How's Claire?"

Before Quil answered, his eyes flicked to Jake and the odd look on his face passed as quickly as it came. His smile and deep dimples returned before he continued talking.

"I've been doing really well. We've got this place going. Nothing like a junkyard to keep us busy. I heard you talked to Embry. He didn't tell you about this place?"

"We didn't really chat about what was going on back here and that was a long time ago." Bella turned away, slightly embarrassed again.

Jake came around the Jeep and wrapped his arm around Bella's waist.

"Can she pick it up Monday afternoon?" Jake asked his friend.

"Want me to bring it by Charlie's place?" Quil offered.

"No. Bring it to my house. Have Embry follow you with your car though."

"Cool, man. Thanks, Bella. I'm glad somebody is going to take good care of my Katydid."

"Katydid?"

"Yeah. You know, cars have names."

Bella laughed and shook her head. She turned and wrapped her arms around Jake's waist, resting her cheek against his check.

"So, are you guys together now?" Quil asked with no shame.

"Yes," Bella answered.

"No," Jake answered at the same time.

"Well, we haven't really talked about it," Bella blushed a bright shade of scarlet.

"It's fine, Bells. Of course, I want to call you mine." He leaned down and rubbed his nose against her forehead. Bella tilted her head back and stepped up on tiptoes for Jake to kiss her.

"Oh great. If you're going to be all lovey-dovey now, I've got paperwork to get done in the office," Quil announced before spinning around and leaving the garage.

"Let's get out of here. Let's go back to the house and make dinner. Maybe try out that dessert." Jacob winked at Bella, as she buried her face in his chest.

 **A/N: So I have two gals I chat with frequently through FF. One of them is writing this awesome story right now called Separation and Lies, tonyamic10. If you aren't reading it yet, I promise you, you are missing out. Head on over, tell her TJ sent you and feel free to beg her for updates.**

 **My other girl, plainjanedee, is always an inspiration to continue when giving up sounds better. She's got an awesome story going too. It's called Vegas, Baby! A great bxj story.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Rated M

Twilight still belongs to Stephenie Meyer. (If you're reading as soon as this posts, two updates in two days. It's a record since July!)

"I can't believe we're making this dessert," Bella said as she stirred the pot gently on the stove with a wooden spoon that was provided by the chef. "The guy made it for the sole purpose of having sex."

Jacob sat at the bar stool with a grin on his face. He could hope but he didn't see that happening yet. Bella had her hair pulled back in a loose braid and was wearing sweatpants that were too large. She rolled them over at the waist and had rolled up the sleeves to the sweatshirt Jake let her use. Of course, it was way too big, but she couldn't resist being cocooned in his scent. And, he couldn't resist seeing her wearing his clothes. Who knew that one sweatshirt could bring such happiness to two people?

"Come over here and taste this," Bella told him as she scooped out a spoonful. Jacob dutifully met her on the other side and opened his mouth. Bella blew gently on the concoction before holding it to his mouth. He didn't move forward, just left his mouth open like an infant waiting to be fed. Huffing a tad, Bella moved the extra 3 inches and put it on his tongue. Immediately, Jacob moaned.

"Oh, man. That is really good." Jacob grabbed the spoon and repeated the same routine for her. She opened her mouth and he gently poured it off the spoon onto her tongue. She closed her mouth around the spoon and sucked the remainder of it off.

"That guy knows what he is doing. It's chocolate, but it's more than chocolate. I could eat all of that right now," Bella gushed over the dessert. Jacob leaned forward and silenced Bella with a kiss. His tongue brushed against hers and ever so gently, he sucked the chocolate flavor from her mouth. She wrapped her arms around him, instantly feeling amorous from one little kiss.

With one hand wrapped loosely around Bella's waist, Jacob reached out and scooped a little bit of chocolate on his fingertip. He wiped it on Bella's neck and leaned her back so that he could lick it off. The moment his tongue swiped her neck, Bella tilted her head to make sure he had plenty of room. Once he'd removed every last taste of it, Bella repeated the gesture. Only Jacob had to lean down so that she could reach his neck.

After Bella sucked the chocolate from Jake's skin, he reached out to remove her oversized sweatshirt. Underneath, Bella wore only a black camisole. Returning a chocolate finger to her skin, Bella gasped when the chocolate dribbled between her breasts. Instead of bending so far to reach her, Jacob lifted her to the countertop. He took his time getting every little drip. Bella leaned back on her hands, laughing as she nearly hit the vase of roses. Jake moved them to the kitchen table to keep them from being pushed over. He left her for another moment when he got a small glass bowl and scooped a big spoonful of the melted chocolate into it. He set it on the counter next to her and slowly ran his finger barely above the top edge of her shirt. Only this time, when he started to clean her off, his hands tugged the bottom of the cotton shirt. Bella moaned as his warm tongue came so near to her nipple. He continued to lick and tease her until she was panting with longing.

She opened her eyes and looked at Jake with such love and desire, they both felt overwhelmed. He made her feel amazing. It saddened her that she'd missed out on so much of his life. She wished she would have come back sooner and given him the chance he deserved. But she decided that for the time being, she would push away those thoughts and enjoy the moment with him. Leaning up slightly, she reached out into the bowl. Jake watched to see what she was going to do with the chocolate. With her other hand, she pulled her shirt down, exposing the pink areola where she had wanted him to be. Slowly, she dragged her finger in a circle, covering it with chocolate. Then, she sucked the chocolate from her finger, before leaning back on her hands, exposed to Jake.

If she thought that he was going to lean right in and do what she wanted, she was mistaken. Instead, he pulled her shirt down further to expose both breasts. He dipped his finger into the bowl and traced her other nipple with the sugary treat. Although, he'd already coated it generously, he continued to trace his fingertip around her.

"Jake…" Bella whispered. When he looked at her face, with desire written all over it, he wasted no more time in giving her what she wanted. He sucked the chocolate off and nibbled lightly. Each firm peak got its own lavish treatment. Bella grabbed his head and pulled him up to her face, where she could kiss him the way he had kissed her. She pulled his tongue into her mouth, savoring his taste, and then she released it, only to nibble on his bottom lip, causing him to pull her body toward his. He pushed his groin to her center, leading her to slide her tongue faster against his, demonstrating what she wished his manliness was doing to her.

"Don't move," Jake told her as he broke the kiss. He made short work of clearing everything off the countertop and laying Bella back on it. Her shoes were already off and he tugged on the sweats. Getting the hint, Bella lifted her bottom and flinched when her butt came in contact with the cold granite counter. Next, he pulled off her top.

"This is more than I ever imagined in my wildest of daydreams," he told her softly as his hands ghosted down her sides, goosebumps popping up as his hands left her skin.

"Really? This is tame compared to a lot of my daydreams," she giggled.

He looked up with a smirk. "Okay, well, in my dreams that I thought might actually come true. Not my fantasies. Those are really naughty."

"So, Jake. I'm here, on the counter, naked. What's your plan?" She grinned at him, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Why the big bad wolf is going to eat you, my dear," he mock growled as he took the bowl and spoon and began drizzling chocolate all over her stomach and mound. He leaned over her body and kissed her, sucking up the treat as he went. As he neared her apex, her breathing quickened. "Relax, honey. It's just me." Carefully, he adjusted her body so that her legs were open for him. He skipped adding more dessert and simply enjoyed the dessert her body gave him. His tongue danced around her, his fingers caressing her folds as he brought her higher and higher. Listening to her moaning and watching her face, Jake knew just when to bite ever so gently on her clit and she came hard. He tenderly kissed her thighs as she came down from the climax.

"Let's go wash you off in the shower," he suggested, slipping his arms under her neck and knees, carrying her carefully up the stairs and into the bathroom.

Together in the shower, they enjoyed the warm spray. Bella immediately started washing off the stickiness with soap. As she rinsed, her eyes fell upon Jake and wandered across his body. It amazed her the way his body only seemed to have gotten better over the years. He was still fit and muscular, but a bit softer around the edges. Of course, he was handsome too. The scruff he was sporting was sexy and she reached up to run her palms over it. He turned and kissed her hand. They didn't linger in the shower much longer. Jake wrapped Bella in a fluffy towel and quickly put his around his waist. Bella used the towel to rub her skin dry and then wound it around her hair. She walked over to the bed while Jake brushed his teeth. She pulled the covers down and sat on her side. Mentally she chuckled at the idea. It never occurred to her that she'd have "her side" of the bed. She always slept in the middle.

Jacob came out of the bathroom and lit some of the pillar candles that were placed around the room. It gave the room a warm glow, just enough light that no lamps were needed. Then he crawled up the bed and laid on his side, his head propped up on his hand. Bella laid down on her stomach and placed several kisses on his chest. Jake's arm reached up and tugged her around so that she was lying next to him. In this position, he was able to look down upon her face. His hand resumed its light trail across her body. His fingers barely touched her skin, and she watched his face as his eyes followed the trail he made. Boldly, Bella reached down and grasped him in her fingers. His eyes darted to hers. She smiled widely at him, thoroughly enjoying his shock.

"Jacob, I have loved you for more than 10 years. I have thought about making love to you for all of the ten years I was gone. I don't want to wait anymore. We can face our issues as they come to us. We've lost enough time as it is. Please, make love to me now."

With her declaration, Jake bent his neck to kiss her. This time, he didn't hold back one ounce of the passion he held for her. She returned it just as feverishly. They showed each other exactly how much love they held, all through the night. Bella's dreams about making love with Jacob were met and exceeded by far. He listened to every noise she made, knowing exactly how to please her and continuing to try until he did. Eventually, she had to beg him to let her rest. Yet, only a few hours into the night, she was waking him for more loving.

By the time, Monday noon rolled around, Bella was too sore to do anything else. She showered alone while Jake started packing up their bags and lining them up on the bed. Bella chuckled when she saw the little card from the chef sitting on top of her toiletry bag. The dessert was gone but the memory would never leave them. She wondered what he added to it, if anything. When one knew of the supernatural, they tended to wonder if there were more unknown supernatural elements in the world. In the end, she decided that magic chocolate or not, she and Jacob were exactly where they both wanted to be.

After drying out her hair and dressing, Jacob carried the last of her stuff to his car. She walked around the house, making sure they weren't leaving anything behind. Then she started folding blankets and towels, before Jacob stopped her, assuring her that cleaning was included in the rental. Bella sat in the car with the vase of roses between her thighs. One hand on the vase and her other intertwined with Jake's.

The last thing either of them was expecting when they pulled in to Jake's house was a yard full of cars. She noted that her new Jeep was there, so she was pretty certain Quil was there as well. Swallowing down the ball of nerves that swelled up in her throat, she glanced over at Jacob. He smiled.

"Guess the word is out," he said.

"Saves us time, I guess," Bella replied, not worried.

On the porch sat Billy and Charlie yakking about fishing and their children. Each held a glass of tea in their hands and waved lightly as the couple walked by them. Bella released Jake's fingers for a moment to give Charlie a hug.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, Bells. How was your weekend?"

"Perfect," she told him honestly.

"Good. Glad to hear it. Beautiful flowers. You'd better get those inside so they don't get messed up."

"Sure, sure," she told him, smiling at Billy as she stepped in front of him.

"Surprise!" Quil hollered as they opened the door. The room full of people laughed together at Quil. He was the first one to walk over to Bella and try to hug her.

"Hang on a sec, sheesh," she groaned as she tried to set down the flowers on the end table. They wobbled just briefly before a hand shot out and stabilized it.

"Thanks, Sam," Bella said.

"No problem, Bella. Glad you're home," he said from his spot on the couch.

"Me too," she agreed.

The next several hours were spent with the friends reminiscing and stories told about the years Bella had missed. She shared her own stories, filling them in on the breakup with Edward, as well as her adventures in nursing school. They were all surprised she was a nurse since she hated blood. She assured them she still wasn't crazy about it, but she didn't deal too much with it. Babies in her unit weren't emergency patients so a little bit here and there wasn't too gross.

Slowly, the couples left and the only ones that remained were Embry and Quil.

"Jake, I owe you an apology for not telling you about Bella all those years. I should have," Embry started.

"Emb, I know you thought you were helping. I forgive you. Let's not allow ourselves any more time to be torn up over this. From here on out, we go forward living our lives. Forgiveness doesn't have to be hard. I can hold a grudge forever, but I choose not to. I am choosing to make things work with Bella. We agreed to work on things as we go, and I think that is what all couples do anyway," Jacob reassured his friend. He held his hand out and Embry reached out to shake it. "We're good, man."

"Well, I guess I'm going to give this guy a ride home. I'm glad that Jeep is going to a good home. Quil loved that car like it was his flesh and blood baby," Embry laughed. "Let's go, Quil."

Quil followed Embry out the door, trying to lean in and hug Bella one more time. Jake punched him in the arm and told him to keep his paws off his girl.

"Oh, she's your girl now?" Quil teased.

"Yes, she is and if you're smart, you'll shut your smart mouth right now," Jake warned.

"What else would I say? Jeez. So sensitive. Let's go, Embry, before Jake her needs a box of tissues." Jake reached out and slugged him one. Quil yelled and rubbed his arm, taking off into the yard at a slow run. Once he reached the car, he turned and shot Jacob the middle finger before climbing in the passenger seat. Bella thought she heard him yell, "up yours, asshole," but she couldn't be sure.

"Good to see some things never change," Bella laughed as she followed Jake outside to get their bags out of the car.

"Want to take your new car out for a test drive?" Jake asked her.

"Definitely!" She ran over to the driver door and climbed in, grabbing the keys out of the cup holder. Jake climbed in with his bottom lip jutting out. He acted sad as he buckled up.

"Oh, I don't think so, Mister. This is my test drive! You can drive it some other time but tonight, it's my turn."

Jacob smiled at her and sat back to relax as she drove her new car. He gave her some directions but many things were the same. The reservation hadn't changed too much over the years. They waved as they passed people's houses, neighbors sitting outside, enjoying the evening.

When they got back to Jake's house, Bella was smiling. She felt happy, utterly happy. She grabbed her bags out of the trunk and followed Jake into the house. Immediately, she opened her bag and started unloading the dirty clothes into the closet in the hamper. Then she started putting her toiletries into her bathroom drawer. She glanced up into the mirror and saw Jake leaning against the doorway, staring at her.

"What?" she asked, smiling a little.

"Nothing. It makes me happy to see you here, making yourself at home in my home. In my bedroom." He walked forward until he was behind her. He rested his hands on the vanity and bent forward, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Promise me you'll stay. That you'll stay here with me. We don't ever have to get married, if you don't want to. I'd like kids but we can talk about that in a few years. But, please, Bella, promise me that we're in this together for as long as we have on this planet. I won't say forever."

She twisted around and looked him in the eyes. "Jacob, there's nowhere else I want to be. No one else I want to spend my days or nights with. I love you. I promise I'm staying until you tell me to go."

"Never," he replied before wrapping his fingers through her hair and kissing her senseless.

 **A/N: My computer had some kind of error while I was editing this. So I blame any errors as ones that were fixed but not saved. Which may or may not be true.**

 **I know. I left this story for 6 months and you think I forgot all about it. But really, I had chapter 7 partially done for a while. Jacob and Bella couldn't decide where they wanted to go. They like when TJ has Christmas break from school.**

 **Thanks for the reviews. Last chapter had 3! Woohoo. Megan39, I'd love to respond, but as long as you're a guest account…I can't! Sorry, girl. Thanks for always reading.**


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